Three Weeks to Sunday
by silencescreams
Summary: R for some mature themes, it's about the misadventures in the Narrator from Joseph's love life.


***Author's note*** This is just a little something I wrote on a dare, If you're a total cleanliness fan of Joseph, I wouldn't read it. DOESN'T ANYBODY ELSE THINK THE NARRATOR IS INTO BONDAGE???  
  
Morning. As Maria groggily forced herself from her bed, she noticed the pleasant smell of coffee and pastries wafting down the hall. Wrapping herself in her short silk robe, she followed her increasing appetite toward the welcoming smells of the kitchen. "Charlie'" she called warmly, "You got Danishes." Spinning on one heel, he turned abruptly at the sound of her voice. At first glance, she appeared to be a boy, with her cropped blonde hair and poignant stature. But with further inspection, one could see her wide, effeminate eyes and graceful curves. A slightly confused look appeared on her face for but a moment, and then, playing along with what she saw as a game, she gazed intently back at him.   
He was a strong man, a tall man. A looker, some of the crotchety old ladies called him. With dark, coiling hair, and flashing eyes, it wasn't hard to see why they said so. Standing just over six feet, with a defined jaw, slightly muscular arms and oak trunks of legs, Maria stood there, admiring the fabulous beauty she had caught for herself. But something wasn't right. Just below his left eye, a small, ragged scar pierced the very image of Adonis, spoiling the effect. Stepping forward, and reaching out for the scar, Maria murmured, "Did _I_ do this?'  
Wincing, he pulled back, "Yes ma'am," he called stiffly.  
Startled by the abruptness and chill in his voice, she began to coo. "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave a mark, really. Let me fix it."  
Letting her robe slide seductively off one shoulder, Maria began to slide towards her love with a mild grin playing on her face. Smiling, Charlie moved toward her with one of his lean arms extended in a sign of peace. Taking his offered hand, Maria pulled Charlie into a comfortable embrace, followed by an equally comforting kiss.  
"Now that's how I like to wake up," Charlie said in his usual warm-as-honey voice.  
In her lowest, most sensuous tone she began to reiterate their plan. "In three Sundays, darling. Three. Then, we'll give ourselves a two-week vacation and run for Vegas. You and me. And then... and then...." she stammered for a moment,"and then we'll be Mr. and Mrs. Charles Van Guard." At this she glanced down at her ring. And what a ring it was. A band of the finest white gold, and a moderate blue diamond sitting solo on its perch, it was the ring that only an attorney's fiance could hope for. "It's so beautiful," she said to herself.  
"Now, Dearest," Charlie whispered, "Was that for you, or for me?"  
"Oh, stop it, silly," poked Maria, "That was for reassurance. For both of us."  
"I see," he teased,"And what are the plans for today, my marriage-frenzied Maria?"  
"Well, Darling, Of course you have the case in the morning, and I have the show in the afternoon. That leaves tonight. Hmmmm. What shall we do?"  
With a sly grin, Charles responded, "Well, I don't know. Whatever do people do at night?"  
Giggling, she continued, "Well, there is a midnight show at the Addams. RHPS darling! Then, well, then.... there _is_ the leather."  
"Oh, honey," Charlie's tone was instantly changed. "Can't we just have dinner? And a _Normal_ movie?"  
"Rocky is normal..." she protested.  
"Honey.... no. Why not.... oh, I don't know. Anything. Anything but that. And normal sex. Can't we have normal sex? I miss that."  
"Don't you like it kinky? Aww, come on."  
"But..."  
"And you do look so cute in studs."  
"But..."  
"And nothing makes me happier."  
"But..."  
"Please, sweetie? You can make a mark this time, if you want to."  
"I--"  
"Please?"  
"I don't like hurting you'" he said in a voice that seemed to be too controlled.  
"Oh, COME ON!"  
"NO! NORMAL PEOPLE! Why can't we fuck like normal people? What's wrong with that, Maria?" Using one hand to hold her chin, and the other to smooth her pixiesque blonde hair, his deep brown eyes gazed into her wild blue ones. "Please, Maria," he was begging her now, "Please, please stop this."  
Pulling away, she called morosely, "If you take me, you take all my habits with me."  
"Habits?? HABITS!!! You call THAT a habit? No, a habit is chewing your nails, a habit checking your messages at the same time. What you do is NOT a habit. It's...it's...I don't know WHAT that is. It's a discrepancy. A discrepancy in healthy sex drives. It drives people crazy, drives them from home. Gives them scars. Wounds. And not just physical ones." At this, he gently touched the welt on his face. Faltering, he began again. "And it causes this. Maria, I have something to ask you. Can you give this up for me? Can you throw all these things away, or sell them, or better yet, burn them? Can you do that for me? Please?"  
Stammering, Maria whimpered, "D-Darling, I'm sorry-I..."At this, words failed her.  
Painfully, he looked at her straight in the eye. "I thought not. I was afraid this would happen. Maria, I'm sorry, but I can't go through with this. I can't marry someone who hurts others for kicks. I just...can't."  
Feeling for the first time a sense of urgency, Maria began to let the words fly from her mouth, "Darling! No! You haven't said a thing for three years! I love you! This is how I show love! Darling, don't leave me please! I love you! I'll change! I swear it! Oh, God! Don't leave me! I love you! This is how I show it..."  
"ENOUGH! I've heard enough. Love? This is how you show love? This isn't love. If this is a sign of love, what do you do to your enemies? Kiss them? I'm sorry, Maria, I just can't stay here. Goodbye."  
And with that, he turned out the door and left.  
Gasping, She fell to the floor, scrambling for any trace of gravity. "Oh, God!" she screamed.  
Then, she passed out.  
  
Groggily, Maria stared out of the corner of her eye at the small silver clock that sat on the table. Five minutes. Only five minutes had passed since the white wooden door slammed shut on her every hope and dream. Shuddering. That's all she should seem to do. Shudder at the very thought of what had just passed. Of what was to come. "I have to get up," she said to no one in particular. Using every bit of strength she had, she rose from her spot. Only five minutes had passed since she had fallen. If she ran, it was likely that she could catch up to her lover, make him see, change. But something held her back. "No," she said, "I must stay." And so she did. Somehow she fought the urge to rush after her past, grasping at straws. She willed herself into her bedroom, began to clean up the mess of last night's occupations. Away went the rings, the whip, the feathers. "It would never do for Mama to see this," she sighed. Maria stripped the sheets from her bed, and threw them into the wash. Glancing down, her eye caught on a small red smudge on the linen. "Charlie," she sighed, and watched it dissolve in the foamy water. After the bedroom was to her satisfaction, she moved on to the rest of her loft. First the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, and the dining area, each was systematically cleaned, disinfected, and stripped of any trace of Charles Adam Van Guard. Throwing everything into a trash bag, she then shoved every last article of Charlie down the chute. "Good-bye, love," she said. As a final goodbye, she slipped her prized ring off her finger, and let it fall with the remnants of her great love.  
Checking the clock again, the musical bells told her that it was just past midnight. "Damn," she muttered. Fourteen hours. It had been fourteen hours since she had seen the last of her recent fiance. It had felt like a decade, each excruciating second drawing out to its full potential. It wasn't like she couldn't have somebody else. There were others before Charlie. There was Dan, Asher, Jude, and even.... No, the availability wasn't the problem. She just didn't want anybody else as much. But the "boys" would serve her purposes for now. She was hurting, and she needed comfort. Her "discrepancies" were calling her, and her mind was too exhausted not to heed them. Calling a number she thought she had forgotten, the friendly voice was more than happy to see her free again, and more than willing to help. Donning her favorite outfit, a black vinyl cat suit, she layered a tan trench over it to help conceal her odd choice in clothing. She nearly flew to the alleyway, and although it was only eight blocks, she felt as if miles stretched between her and her destination. At some length, she finally reached it. It was another dark alley, this time behind an old theatre. As Maria kept her speeding pace steady, her eyes seemed to snag on everything around her. There a cat, there some remnants of a cheeseburger. A pile of loose brick, a dumpster, a dead rat, it was all there, and all seemed to be exceedingly fascinating to her. Muffled shouts of "Asshole!" seemed to snag on her ears and keep her from the task at hand, and it was all she could do to keep her mind on the here and now. Finally, she forced herself to look at the end of the alleyway. There in the shadows stood a young man, with that gorgeous Arabian skin and dark, glittering eyes. Seeing Maria flying toward him, letting her coat fly open to expose the clothing beneath, he smiled and managed a slight "Hello." Maria, still in a full sprint, flew in to his arms and embraced him. Standing back, she took in full view of her young counterpart. He had changed a lot in three years, and all for the better. His scrawny frame had filled out some, and his skin had cleared up. "Yes," she thought, "yes, he will do excellently". With a playful countenance on her face, she finally addressed him. "Hello, Benjamin," she said with a smile, "and what are we doing tonight?" 


End file.
